Artificial bait.



No. 882,344. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. J. B. RHODES.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.15,1905.O

- x Invent-01 WltULhhLh.

a fihaw w W M M m IT'W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY B. RHODES, OF KALAMAZ OO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, JR.,

- OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 15, 1905. Serial a... 278,682.

Patented March 17, 1968 To all whomz't may concern."

Be it known that I, JAY B. RHODES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kala-- mazoo in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Artificial Bait, of which the ollowing is a specification.

. This invention relates to improvements infishing baits or lures.

It relates particularly to artificial baits or lures designedto imitate natural or live bait, such as shown in my application for Letters Patent filed December 5, 1904, Serial Number 235,570, and is a modification and in some respects an improvement upon the structure there shown.

The-objects of m invention are, first, to

provide an improve bait or lure which when m the water ve closely resembles a natural or live bait. econd, to provide an imroved Weedless artificial bait or lure. lhird, to provide an improved artificial bait or lure in which the hooks are arranged a manner to render them very effective.

. Fourth, to provide-an improved bait or lure in which the hooks are arranged in such'a manner that they serve to keep the bait right side up when-the same is in .the water.

Further objects, and objects relating to structural details, willdefinitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure embod ing the features of my invention isv clearly il ustrated in the accom- 1panying drawln forming a part of this specication, in whic i Figure'l is a plan of my improved bait or lure, portions being broken awav to show structural details, the rear position. of the legs being indicated by dotted lines. I Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of my improved bait or lure.

In the drawing similar letters of reference refer to similar parts in both views.

Referring to the drawing, the body A is preferably made in imitation of a frog. The rear'end of the body is preferably'slotted horizontally at A to receive the hooks and the forward ends of the legs. The legs B are 7 preferably V-shape of the hooks being arranged through the inner ends of the legs. preferably made of rubber, and the legs are preferably secured to the hooks by moldi the same thereon. The hooks are secure to the bod by pivots C. which are arranged through t e eyes C thereof. By this arrangement the hooks and the legs are both secured by the same pivots and they are kept in pro er relation to'eachother. The legs are he d normally or yieldingly outward or extended by the s ring a. This spring is the apex projecting into the slot A and the arms bein secured to the le as clearl appears from t e drawing.

on the the line, as D, will throw the legs'backwa'rd, as isillustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the pressure of the water overcoming the tension of the, spring. When the line is again slackened the spring forces the legs outward or preferably carried by the hooks C, the shanks The body and the legs are ait 1s in the water, a pull upon extended 'to their initial position. This.

movement gives the bait a very natural a pearance, andby a succession of pulls on t e line the bait may be given the appearance of and a movementvery-similarfito that of a swimming fro The hooks and legs are so arranged that the feet lie in front of thepoints of the hooks, forming weed guards therefor. The hooks are arran ed with the curve of the shanks downward so that their points are brought into position for receiving a strike. When the hooks are thus arran ed they also serve as weights to keep the ait in an upright position. ,Being placed at the rear of the bait they also give it the proper inclination when in the water.

I preferably form'the body and the legs of rubber. The legs, being somewhat elastic,.

do not in any way prevent the hooks from properly engaging when struck by a fish. The hooks, lying close to the legs, are in the most effective position, as a fish will usually aim for the legs of a frog in making a strike.

It is evident that the legs can be secured directly to the body instead of to the hooks, and that the hooks might be carried by the legs; or the might'be independently con nected to the simple form of the spring to throw the legs normally outward or extended; it is evident,

body. I have illustrated a them tothe body; 'V-shaped springlengaging said legs however, thatthere are a great variety of means for doing this. As such variations will readily appear to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, I do not attem t to illustrate or describe themherein.

l liave illustrated and described my imroved bait or lure in detail in the form preterred by me on account of its structural simplicity and economy, although I am aware that it is capable of very great structural variation without departing from 'my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an artificial bait or lure, the combination of a body having a horizontal slot in its rear end;.hooks provided with eyes arranged in said slot with their points upward; le s arranged in said slot up said hooks, so that the polnts of the hooks are guarded thereby; pivot pins arranged through the eyes of the hooks'for securmg them to the body; and a forwardly ointing V-shaped sprin engaging said legs or holding them norma y outward, arranged in said slot in said body, for the purpose specified.

2. In an artificial bait or lure, the combination of a body; hooks provided with eyes, arranged with their points upward; legs arranged upon the shanks of said hooks, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereb pivot pins arranged through the eyes 0 the hooks for securing them to the body; and a forwardly pointingl V-shaped spring'engaging said legs for ho ding them normally outward, for t e purpose specified.

3. In an artificial bait or lure, the combination of a body having a horizontal slot in its rear end; hooks rovided with e es; legs arranged in said s 0t upon the s anks of said hooks, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; plvot pins arranged through the eyes of the hooks for securing and a forwardly ointing or hold ing them norma y outward, arranged in said slot in said bod for the purpose s ecified.

4. In an art' cial bait or lure, t e combination of a body; hooks provided with eyes; le s arranged upon the shanks of said hoo so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; pivot pins arranged -through the eyes of the'hooks for securing them to the body; and a forwardly ointing V-shaped spring engaging said 1e s or hold ing them normally outward, for t e purpose specified.

5. In an artificial bait or lure, the combination of a body having a horizontal slot in its rear end hooks arranged in said slot with their points upward; legs arra ed in said slot upon the shanks of said hoo s, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; pivot pins arranged throughthe so that the points of the on the shanks of of the hooks for securing them to the and means for holding said legs noroutward, for the purpose specified.

eyes body mal y 6. In an artificial baitor lure, the com"- binationof a bo d hooks provided with eyes arranged wit thelr points upward; legs arranged upon the shanks of sald hooks,

thereby; pivot pinsarranged through the eyes of the hooks for securing them to the bod and means for holding said legs norpurpose specified.

7. In an artificial balt or lure, the combination of a body having a horizontalslot in its rear end; hooks provided with eyes; legs arranged in said slot upon the shanks of said hooks, so that the polnts of the hooks are guarded thereby; pivot pins arranged through the eyes of the hooks for securing them to the body; and means for holding said legs normally outward, for the purpose specified.

- 8. In an artificial bait or lure, the combination of a body; hooks provided with eyes; legs arranged upon the shanks of said hooks, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; pivot pins arranged through the eyes of the hooks, for securing them to the body; and means for holding said legs normally outward, for the purpose specified.

9. In an artificial bait or lure, the combination of a body, having a horizontal slot in its rear end; hooks provided with eyes arranged in said slot with their points u ward; legs arranged in, said slot upon t e shanks of said hooks, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; and pivot pins arranged through the eyes of the hooks or securing them to the body, for the purpose s ecified.

10. bination of a body; hooks provided with eyes arranged with their lpsoints upward; legs arranged upon the shan of said hooks, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; and pivot pins arranged through the eyes of the hooks for securing them to the body, for the purpose s ecified. I

11. In an artificlal bait or ure, the combination of a body, having a horizontal slot in its rear end; hooks provided with eyes; legs arranged in said slot, upon the shanks of said hooks, so that the points of thehooks are guarded thereby; through'the eyes of the hooks for securing them to the body, for the pur ose s ecified.

12. In an artificial bait or ure, t e combination of a body; hooks provided with eyes; legs arranged upon the shanks of said hooks, so that the points of the hooks are guarded thereby; and pivot pins arranged an artificial bait or lure, the comand pivot pins arranged.

hooks are guarded through the eyes of the hooks for securing -means for holding bination of a body; hooks arran ed with their points u wardlegs arrange so that the points of t e hoo s are uarded thereby; and means for holding said Iegs yieldingly in position, for the urpose speclfied. I

14. In an art' cial bait or lure, the com bination with the body, of hooks carried by said bod and legs for said bod arranged so that t eir outer ends lie norma ly in front of and out of contact with the omt of the hooks so that the hooks are guar ed thereby, for the pn ose specified.

15. In a llait-or lure, the combination of a body 3 10 s therefor; means for holding said legs yiel ingl inposition; hooks arranged so that sai egs serve as guards therefor; and connections for said legs and hooks for maintaining their proper relation, for the purpose specified.

- 16. In a bait or lure, the combination of the body; a movable member therefor;

yieldin'gly positlon; a hook pivotally sesaid movable member cured to said body arranged so that said movable member serves as a guard for the point thereof; and connections for said movbody; and a fishing line connected to said 'body, whereby a swimmin movement may be imparted to said movab e member by the manipulation of the line, as s ecified.

In witness whereof, I have ereuntoset my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

JAY B. RHODES. [L.' s.]

Witnesses:

One A. EARL, A. J. ALBER. 

